One of New Jersey’s gubernatorial candidates is touching (arguably) the state’s ultimate third rail.
State Senator Jon Bramnick (R-21) has introduced S-4303, legislation which would give motorists an option to pump their own gasoline. New Jersey is the last state in the U.S. to maintain a total prohibition on self-serve gas after Oregon recently ended its on similar ban.
Bramnick is presently one of three viable or quasi-viable candidates for the 2025 GOP gubernatorial nomination.
Attitudes might be shifting on this controversial topic in an age characterized by stubborn inflation. A 2022 poll from the recently dissolved Monmouth Polling Institute found a slim majority (54%) of residents supporting self-serve gas provided that gas stations still retain an on staff attendant.
Proponents argue self-service gas is a question of freedom and could lower overall prices. Critics counter that there’s little evidence to support a correlation between self-service gas and lower prices at the pump.
The text of Bramnick’s bill isn’t yet available online, but the accompanying legislative statement for A-3105, an earlier introduced version of the bill from the 2022-2023 legislative session, is posted below. That bill provided for option self-serve but requirements for stations with a certain number of pumps to continue offering full service gas during certain hours…
This bill allows the act of pumping one’s own gas when a consumer voluntarily chooses to do so. The bill requires gasoline stations with more than four dispensers to continue to offer full-service gasoline between the hours of 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., provided that the station is open to the public during those hours.
The bill also stipulates that a gasoline station may offer a discount to customers who purchase motor fuel of like grade and quality that is dispensed by self-service at the station, provided that the motor fuel shall not be sold at a price which is below the net cost of that motor fuel to the gasoline station plus all selling expenses.
Furthermore, the bill states that a gasoline station shall provide service by an attendant in the dispensing of every grade of fuel offered at self-service at no additional charge, if requested to do so by a person with a disability who is operating a motor vehicle bearing a placard or wheelchair symbol license plate.
The bill also provides that gasoline stations offering only self-service gasoline shall provide assistance to motorists with a disability at the self-service price. In order to enhance access for motorists, the bill gives gasoline stations the option of either outfitting at least one dispenser with a special call button or outfitting every dispenser with a sign listing a phone number that can be used to alert an employee of the gasoline station that assistance is needed.
Consistent with federal law, the bill provides that a gasoline station is not required to provide refueling assistance when there is only one employee present.
